Black Friday - Ways to add color

"BLACK Friday in most of Africa means survival, not shopping. I'm thankful to be an American and to have food, clothes, shelter, indoor plumbing, SKYPE, love and purpose. We celebrated Black Friday in South Africa by shopping for food and books for an orphanage and laminating photographs I took of the orphans so that they could see what they look like. I love these children!

You, too, can get an early start and be the first in line to add color to Black Friday by pondering these questions by Will L. Thompson: “Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? Has anyone’s burden been lighter today because I was willing to share? Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way? When they needed my help was I there?” Thanks to Helen Keller for these profound words. “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - Sister Basso

Happy Thanksgiving

"Since today is Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with you a recent email from my mom. I don't remember much from when my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor, but one memory has been firmly planted in my mind. I remember one evening when I was very young maybe 6 or 7, when the family gathered around in the entry way of my parent's bedroom. We were all kneeling down as my father began to pray. I don't remember much but I do recall his voice as he began pleading with our Father in Heaven that if he would spare his life, the my father would serve the Lord all the days of his life. This made a huge impact on my life. It's funny how I don't remember the experience that my mom shares during a blessing, yet I remember my father's simple, heartfelt plea from father to father. It was until the last few years as I have talked with my mother that I finally understand the sickness, pain and hope that they experienced as we were all yet children. Their legacy of faith and prayers of both my parent's have helped me to share in that faith and strengthen my own as I walk through this earthly existence.

This picture is one of my favorites of my father as he feels and shows the love of the Savior to these orphaned children. On this day of thanksgiving, I am so very grateful for my father and his undeviating example of faith in the Savior Jesus Christ and to my mother who has been a strength and blessing in my life. I don't think the people of Africa know how truly blessed to have them. Here's the message from Sister Basso" - Melia

"At the beginning of every week in the Area Offices we have a Devotional to set the tone and invite the Lord's blessings into our various avenues of service. We sing hymns, have special musical numbers and speakers. This week I was asked to give a talk on the subject of miracles. Of course, I thought of the tender mercies of Heavenly Father when he gave us a huge miracle and preserved the life of our beloved family patriarch." - Sister Basso

Take a moment to read "It's a Miracle! The Gift of Life"

On the subject of miracles, I suppose that the current miracle is that we have been in Africa for 25 days and have survived food poisoning, driving on the wrong side of the road, proselytizing in Hillbrow and being trained by Savages !

In 1986 I ran twice a day, broke my ankle, nursed four kids through chicken pox and co-produced “The Music Man.” Life was good! My husband, Chuck, was the National Sales Supervisor for ConAgra. One day he returned home from a business trip in Las Vegas with head and neck pain accompanied by severe nausea. He thought he might have food poisoning from the horseradish on the Vegas prime rib special. The symptoms quickly went from bad to worse as he lost all feeling on one side of his head. One eye began to wander out of control and distorted his vision and balance. We sought medical care. Eyes were examined and a neurologist was recommended. After a spinal tap and other tests, he was diagnosed with Foix Syndrome. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy was done to determine if his stomach could tolerate the strong medication. After purchasing the $600 prescription, the doctor called and said, “Don’t take it. I think I may have missed the diagnoses.” He referred us to an appropriately named brain surgeon, Dr. Noodleman. The preliminary diagnosis was a cerebral aneurysm. More procedures were done and more long faces were seen. He spent a year being probed by specialists and enduring tens of thousands of dollars worth of tests including MRI’s and an angiogram.

Three days before Christmas, it was determined that he had a very aggressive brain tumor that was housed in the mouth of the carotid artery and was pressing against the optic nerve. During the course of the testing, the tumor had grown from pea size to walnut size. Due to the precarious location of the tumor, brain surgery posed about as great a risk as doing nothing. However, Dr. Noodleman felt that his only hope for survival was the life-threatening surgery which would likely be attended by a poor quality of life.

Chuck spent the entire year vomiting, losing weight, suffering great pain, building faith and treasuring family time. It was a bleak and worrisome Christmas as we celebrated with six happy, excited children who were largely unaware of the seriousness of their daddy’s illness. We were particularly sensitive to the reason for the season that year and felt a special closeness to the Savior.

After the holidays, we shared the news of what the new year could bring. Fasting and prayers on Chuck’s behalf became regular activities among our families and friends of many faiths. I had to face the possibility of having to raise six children . . . alone. After helplessly watching Chuck suffer for fifteen months, I finally struggled to utter the most difficult prayer of my life. “Thy will be done” came out in a tear-drenched whisper. With the probable unfavorable outcome of surgery, we opted to lay it all on the alter and trust in God’s will.

Our Stake Conference in the Spring of ’87 brought a visiting General Authority to our meetinghouse. The Stake President requested a special blessing on our behalf from Elder Dean L. Larsen. Our six little ones shared that sacred experience and added their tears to ours as we felt the spirit touch our lives. In that crowded office, a priesthood blessing was pronounced that declared that Charles Kaluhi Basso would be healed through natural causes. It was as if the hands of the Savior had been placed upon him and the voice of the Lord pronounced the blessing.

It took nearly a year for his body to heal naturally through divine intervention, but thanks to that miraculous healing, he went on to serve as a Bishop, a Stake President and my beloved missionary companion in South Africa. Six children were blessed to have a healthy, capable, playful father. Fifteen grandchildren now lovingly call him “Papa.” I call him my miraculous gift from Heavenly Father.

God lives! Faith precedes miracles and gratitude forever follows them. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Written by Joy Basso

Because I have been given much...

"Tuesday is trash day. To the poor it is "dumpster diving" day as they seek out their food scrapes and other treasures before the trucks pick them up. It's a chest-sinking sight - not a meal fit for a king like most American Thanksgiving Dinners are. This will be our first Thanksgiving away from our treasured American holiday where families gather to visit, count blessings, over-eat, and toss the excess into the dumpsters.

Count your many blessings! It might be a good time to ponder the words to 'Because I have been given much I, too, must give . . . Because of Thy great bounty Lord each day I live.'" - Sister Basso

Li-on Around at the Park

"A fun break from our daily Welfare work was a trip to the Lion Park with Elder and Sister Savage. It was a beautiful day to explore the countryside and make friends with some of Heavenly Father’s beautiful creations. We loved being up close to those amazing creatures. The experience was enhanced by a knowledgeable guide that shared interesting details about the big cats and other inhabitants in their protected habitat. Seeing the lion king was certainly a highlight of the trip along with petting the cubs. We also enjoyed looking through the gift shops and meeting our waitress named 'Mammy.'" - Sister Basso

Making his home, home...

"Elder Basso is our self-appointed “house boy” and seems to enjoy cooking, washing in a strange new machine and organizing and exploring our new home. He likes to open unmarked doors in the complex and check out the pipes and electrical panels. And, of course, he “talks story” to everyone. He says that a lot of things about South Africa remind him of Hawaii. He’s a curious little boy at heart. His most recent project was widening the shower space. He took the shower railing off and moved it out several inches so that the shower curtain wouldn’t stick to us in our narrow tub. It was much more complicated than it sounds. He’s thrilled to be able to look out the window and see if the hardware store across the street is open." - Sister Basso

"I am sure Dad will have that country in top shape before long! He is a genius with his hands." - Melia

A Different World

"Communication can be difficult even with those who speak English. Aside from discerning the accent, totally different words are used to describe many common things. I shopped for a curling iron and couldn’t find anyone who understood what I wanted. To visualize such a thing in a South African's mind must conjure up images of an ironing board with a rounded iron set on it. What use is that? Finally, I found one on the shelf and it is called “curling tongs.” That actually seems a more accurate name, if given some thought. Our most expensive purchases so far have been a Garmin GPS at about 1500 R and a water filtering dispenser at a few hundred Rand. If we can avoid getting lost and have potable water, we can make it. We had no hot water the first days in our flat. Perhaps cold showers helped shorten jet lag time! The maintenance man said that there must be something wrong with the old “geezer”. I thought, “No, my husband is fine!” : )

We asked what in the world a “geezer” was and he said it was the tank that contained our hot water. Though it is pronounced “geezer” it is spelled “geyser.” When I saw it in print it sounded like a sensible enough word to describe a flow of hot water. We have so much to learn!" - Sister Basso

Adjusting to the Local Traffic

"It’s very unnerving to travel on the left side of the rode with right-hand steering. Traffic patterns are crazy and pedestrian traffic is hazardous. Jay-walking is the norm and beggars and vendors crowd the streets with their pleas and wares. Red lights are run almost as frequently as green ones in some areas. We are advised to run red lights (“robots”) at night when our safety appears to be compromised. We have a special coating on our windows to prevent shattering during “smash and grab” attempts. Being aware of surroundings is critical to survival. Increasing the road hazards is overcrowded, speeding “kombis” or taxis which usually take the form of VW bus-looking vehicles. It is kind of like driving around LAX on the wrong side of the street. It’s always a relief to see the security gates close behind us and step out onto the underground parking area." - Sister Basso

Elder Nelson's Visit to South Africa

"What an amazing experience to be in the presence of an Apostle of the Lord. Thanks to my cousin, Lisa, she sent me the link to this video. It is awesome to see live footage of where Elder and Sister Basso are serving! You can read about Elder Nelson's visit as well at the Church New site here. I referred to his visit in the blog post title "The Eagle Has Landed" when he was in the area and spoke during a special meeting that my parent's attended. Did you know we have living apostles of God? Find out more about Elder Nelson here. Enjoy!" - Melia

Worms: Divine or Disgusting?

"We had a 'team meeting' yesterday at the ERC (Employment Resource Center). After the meeting we had some cake with African custard pudding and were served a bowl of dried caterpillars. Dad and I opted for the cake even though the black men at the meeting said that the worms were divine and

a coveted delicacy. There is no way in the world we would buy into that! We politely declined. I thought I would hurl just thinking about it. We watched wide-eyed as they crunched the 'divine delicacies.' They reminded us that Americans eat snails! Actually, I did see a menu earlier this week that offered 'Six Sizzling Snails' as an entree. I passed on the snails and got a pizza. His point was well taken, though." - Sister Basso

Separation of Church and State School: “Where two or more are gathered in my name”

"There was no separation of church and state school on our first Sabbath day in Africa. After being lost on dirt roads with lean-to sheds with dirt floors, barefoot children walking aimlessly down the middle of the road and faces of poverty, we finally located the school surrounded with barbed wire fencing that housed several denominations of believers. We found an open gate and drove onto the rocky path that led up to access to the school. We attended a little Branch of the church in a dilapidated school with no running water and Mickey the mouse running across the floor – actually it was a rat. Other faiths met in adjacent rooms and outside on the dirt roads. Some had bright colored long robes and headwear. Shouts, songs, and “tel-evangelistic” preaching rang through the halls and windows and made focusing a challenge. It was like having several radios blasting - all turned to different stations. A powerful, dignified black man was the capable Branch President who conducted the meeting and later gave a combined class lesson on appropriate use of time.

Ninety-one members crowded into the makeshift chapel and sat on teetering, plastic chairs. I took a borrowed portable piano keyboard and provided the music for the Sacrament Meeting. I played for the choir without a conductor. She whispered in my ear to start without her because she was needed as an alto. The strains of music may have attracted the unwelcome rodent that ran across the floor during the singing. It also attracted a very sweet spirit. I sat near a former Relief Society sister that is currently serving as the Compassionate Service Leader. I thought of what an overwhelming job she must have for a congregation with such need. Two blind people sat in front of us and nodded and smiled during the songs and sermons. Two deacons arose from broken plastic chairs and passed the sacrament with dignity. Both wore pristine white shirts and neatly tied ties.

Sanitation at the school was so sub-standard that wet pants almost seemed more appealing than using the school toilets. Thankfully, I was warned to always carry compact camping rolls of toilet paper, a luxury item in depressed areas. The church members were grateful to have a gathering place and didn’t seem to notice the disheveled, unhealthy conditions of their surroundings. They were clean and happy and sang like angels. Their handshakes were warm and their gratitude for my music was grossly overstated. Their lessons and talks were inspiring. They prayed for humility and expressed such love. We wondered how they could be more humble. The faithful testimonies brought tears of joy and the little black faces melted our hearts. They stared at my white face in wonderment as if I had forgotten to put on my skin. God loves all His children regardless of what skin they wear. We love them, too!" - Sister Basso

Career Workshop

"We arrived at our office early in the morning and were introduced to our first students. Six black candidates and one Afrikaan were seated in the Career Workshop classroom eager to gain skills to help them obtain work. One man from the Congo had considerable hesitation in his presentation skills. However, when he switched from English to French, he came to life! There are eleven languages spoken in South Africa and many natives speak several languages. The most prominent non-English language spoken in this area is Zulu. Our first assignment is to help the needy find work by helping them improve their job-search skills. For those not qualified for a job, there is self-employment training available. We teach the employment specialists in the various geographical areas how to assist those in need so that they can become self-sufficient. Nearly half of the country is unemployed and many more are hanging on by a thread. Poverty is probably one of the greatest detriments to health, longevity and family survival here. It is heartrending to hear of their struggles." - Sister Basso